Addison volleyball gets conference win over Napoleon

ADDISON — The Addison High School volleyball team defeated Cascades Conference rival Napoleon in four sets Tuesday night. The Panthers won the match 22-25, 25-23, 25-17, 26-24.

Addison (10-14-2, 2-3 Cascades) wore special pink and black jerseys to support the fight against breast cancer. This year, however, was much more emotional due to a volleyball player’s mother being diagnosed in August.

“It was a special night,” said Addison coach Dick Bradstreet. “It was a special win.”

The Panthers started the night off slow, allowing the Pirates to take a 10-8 lead in the opening set. Napoleon increased its led to 15-10, but the Panthers fought back to make it 18-15. Napoleon quickly increased their led to 24-21 before taking the set 25-22.

In the second set, Addison looked more alert, and the team’s communication improved greatly. The Panthers’ rhythm allowed them to take their first lead of the match, 10-8. The Pirates responded immediately, and the two teams traded points until it was a 17-17 tie. Napoleon gained a 19-17 lead, but the Panthers were relentless, taking the set to a 20-20 tie and then a 23-23 tie. The Pirates blinked first in the stalemate, allowing Addison to score two consecutive points for a 25-23 win.

“We’re just starting to come into our own,” said Bradstreet. “Our defense and offense are coming together.”

If that statement needed any verification, the third set of the match was it. The Panthers fought Napoleon to an 11-11 tie and then exploded. Addison took a 15-13 lead and went on a 7-0 run, giving them a 22-13 lead and forcing Napoleon to use three timeouts. The Pirates tried to rally, but were too far behind to prevent Addison’s 25-17 win.

In the match’s fourth set, the Panthers kept right on rolling. The Panthers took a 5-4 lead, but the Pirates led 10-8 soon after. Addison then took the lead 16-13, but Napoleon took it right back 18-17. Eventually, the teams found themselves at a 21-21 tie. It was here that Addison’s captain, Kami Raby, began to shine.

“Kami was our go-to player in the last set,” said Bradstreet. “She’s the team captain, and she’s the leader.”

Raby scored the final five points for the Panthers, including the game-winner that slid across the top of the net three feet before finally dropping on the Pirates’ side. The final point gave the Panthers a 26-24 win and the match.

“We performed for a good cause,” Raby said. “It give a us a little extra to play for. When you think about winning for someone else, instead of yourself, it got us to play our best.”

Raby led the Panthers with 22-for-22 serving, 23 digs, eight kills and four blocks. Shelby Reniger had 22 assists, 10 digs and four kills, while Josie Glazier finished with four kills, 17 assists and 17 digs. Korinna Corbin finished with 12 kills, two aces and 12 digs, while Cassidy Thomsen had five kills and 20 digs. Autumn Schmelzer also added 12 kills and five blocks for the Panthers.

“We need to build off this win tonight,” said Bradstreet. “We getting into midseason form and are looking forward to districts.”

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